The Assassination of Charlie Kirk, a week of evil, and the birth of my daughter.

My daughter came into this world literally minutes after Charlie Kirk was announced dead. It has taken longer than usual to put my thoughts into words because of the great chasm that lies between these two events shoved together for my soul to process: The understated miracle of a newborn child in your arms, and the cultural chaos that has erupted because of the assasination of a political activist. 

Perhaps because I am a husband and newly a father of two, my heart immediately broke for Charlie’s wife, and his children that will never know their father. As a follower of Jesus, I grieved for the loss of a brother in Christ. Though I didn't agree with many of Charlie’s viewpoints, some of his theology or vision for the world, he was a follower of Jesus, an ardent apologist for the faith, and that his voice had been taken felt like a true loss. 

Over the coming hours and days, I could only feel anger and disgust for those rejoicing over his murder, and sadness about how every voice, like vultures, tried to swoop in to tarnish his work, his character, spin the situation and use his death to promote their agenda. 

Our society is sick. 

If you have rejoiced, found satisfaction, or any other emotion besides sadness for his family, and grief for the state of our broken nation, evil has blinded your eyes, wickedness has seeped into your heart and you have lost part of your humanity. 

When we place ideology over humanity, we are already on the slippery slope that leads to The Holocaust, and the hell on earth that left 100 Million dead in the wake of Communism and War in the 20th Century.

I think one of the strongest arguments for the existence of God is the existence of evil. 

This wasn't just a political assassination, though it was that. It wasn't just an ideological assassination, though it was that. It wasn’t because of racism, bigotry, sexism, LGTBQ rights, 2nd Amendment rights, gun control, abortion, MAGA, Progressivism, or free speech. While the culture war that has been raging for decades may dig trenches around those topics, this showed what those who have the Holy Spirit know. 

“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”

We are in a war between Good and Evil and it is a war for the hearts and minds of every one of us. 

The problem is the moment you read that line you immediately believed your side was Good, and their side is Evil. 

Neither right nor left can heal our sick and broken society. 

Not Conservatism nor Progressivism has in its power to save the world. 

If you think that they can, you’re still blind. 

Politics has its place but only the Gospel can save us. 

Jesus is the hope for humanity. 

Only He can show us what is good, and right, and true. 

We need the Gospel more than ever. 

We need Repentance more than ever. 

We need Revival more than ever. 

The church of Jesus Christ cannot be silenced. 

The church of Jesus Christ cannot be killed. 

Ask Rome. 

If you are a follower of Jesus, this is not a day to be quiet or comfortable. Today is the day to be bold and to stand for the Gospel. 

For the truth of God's word. And for practicing the way of Jesus.  

We need His words more than ever.

Love your enemy. 

Pray for those who persecute you. 

Be angry and do not sin. 

Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.

Remove the plank from your own eye before you judge the speck in your brothers. 

Lead us not into temptation, deliver us from evil. 

To those who rejoice in death and evil:  REPENT. 

There is a terrible end on the road you are on. 

Don’t stay on it.

To those overwhelmed by the moment we find ourselves: don’t despair.  

Hold fast to what is good. 

Overcome evil with good.

Abstain from every form of evil.  

Our God is Almighty, one day He will bring all things to right when Jesus returns. 

Stay anchored to the hope we have in Him.

Stay rooted in community. 

Stay grounded in Scripture. 

Stay zealous in prayer. 

Be a person of peace in a culture of chaos.

This is a familiar scripture to many but the full passage might have greater meaning today. 

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.  Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.

Jesus said He will build His Church and the Gates of Hell will not stand against it. The church of Jesus Christ is offensive not defensive. This is a new day when you take a stand for what you believe.

This is the time.

Today is the day. 

As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. We will stand on His Word. We will pursue His Spirit. We will herald His Gospel. We will be found in His House. We will repent of our sin. We will call sinners to repentance. We will raise our children in the Knowledge of God. We will love our neighbor. We will love our enemy. We will pray for those who persecute us.  We will do our part to see His Kingdom Come. 

What will you do?

We named our daughter Jubilee.

When The Lord established ancient Israel, every 50 years was to be a celebration where debts were forgiven, slaves were freed, and ancestral land was returned to its original owners, promoting economic restoration and spiritual liberation. The Jubilee was a kind of "super-sabbath," a radical expression of God's covenant and a time to return to one's proper place in the community.  

When Jesus began His ministry quotes Isaiah 61:1-3, proclaiming that He is anointed to bring good news to the poor, set the oppressed free, and declare a "year of the Lord's favor," directly referencing the Jubilee. 

Jesus is our Jubilee. He is the restoration our nation needs. May the Lord take what has been evil in our land and resurrect it for good. 

May this be the year of the Jubilee. 

Lord, heal our land. 

I ask this in Jesus name.